MPs welcome SC's decision to grant bail to Lalu Prasad

MPs belonging to various parties on Friday welcomed the Supreme Court's decision to grant bail to RJD chief Lalu Prasad in a fodder scam case.

Shivanand Tiwari of the JD(U), RJD's main rival in Bihar, said, "I felt good when I heard that he has been given bail. Even dacoits and robbers get bail. So not surprising that Lalu Prasad has been given bail. But I would still say I am happy".

Tiwari is a former associate of Prasad and a former member of the RJD.

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Ramgopal Yadav welcomed Prasad's bail and said it should have happened much earlier.

"He should have been given bail earlier by the High Court itself but was denied. That was wrong," he said.

Congress leader and Union Law Minister Kapil Sibal also hailed the apex court's decision and said, "We are happy that Laluji has got bail. We think the elections are near and he is a leader of a big political party. Everything must happen according to the law. We welcome the bail granted to him by the Supreme Court".

RJD leader Ramkripal Yadav said the party welcomes the decision of the Supreme Court to grant bail to Prasad as it will help in encouraging the party cadres.

A bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam granted bail after noting that several other similarly placed convicts have already been granted bail in the case.

Pleading for bail, Prasad, who lost his membership of Parliament after being convicted in the case, submitted that of the 44 persons convicted along with him, 37 have been granted bail and no one's, except his bail plea has been rejected.

The RJD chief, another former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra and 43 others were on September 30 convicted by a special CBI court in the fodder scam case involving fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from Chaibasa Treasury during the Prasad-led RJD regime.